Contacting the Branch

If you have any questions or need any support please contact the Branch Office

 contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Or you can call 020 8359 2088, if we are unable to answer the telephone please leave a message speaking slowly and clearly please include your name, telephone number, membership number and a brief message about the assistance you require. We will respond as soon as we can.

Alternatively you can contact UNISON Direct Call Centre by telephone 

08000 857 857 Monday – Friday 6am – Midnight, Saturday 9am – 4pm

or make an online enquiry by clicking the following link

https://www.unison.org.uk/get-help/online-enquiries/

To Join UNISON click the following link 

https://join.unison.org.uk/

The Biggest Conspiracy Theory Is That There Isn’t Enough Money to Pay for Public Services

Barnet UNISON reps are having conversations every week with low-paid members who are exhausted, demoralised, and afraid for their children’s future. They see prices rising, wages stuck, and public services falling apart. And they hear, again and again, the same excuse: “There’s no money.”

That’s the biggest conspiracy theory of our time.

There is money. In fact, the UK is wealthier than ever before—just not for the people who make it work. Billionaires in this country have more than doubled their wealth since 2008.

During the pandemic, the richest 1% grew even richer while key workers—care staff, cleaners, school catering workers, housing and security staff—were thanked with applause, then handed real-terms pay cuts.

In Barnet, we see how this lie plays out. Council services have been outsourced to private companies on the promise of efficiency and cost savings. The reality? Poorer working conditions, lower pay, and services run for profit, not people.

That’s why Barnet UNISON is demanding that school catering, cleaning, care work, housing services, parking enforcement and security staff all be brought back in-house. Public money should be spent on public services—not drained off into shareholders’ pockets.

When services are outsourced, it’s not just workers who lose out. Residents get less accountable, more fragmented services.

UNISON nationally is clear: We want proper funding for local government, fair and inflation-proofed pay awards, and an end to outsourcing. And we in Barnet are fighting to make that a reality in our own borough.

But there’s a deeper issue we need to confront: why so many of our lowest-paid colleagues have come to believe the lie that there simply isn’t enough money.

It’s not just bad economics—it’s psychological warfare.

After a decade of austerity, the working class has been made to believe the idea that they must sacrifice, while the rich are told they deserve more.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

A wealth tax—just a small one—on the richest 1% could raise tens of billions every year. Even a 1% tax on wealth above £10 million could help rebuild our services and give dignity to our most vital workers. But the political will is missing, because the people at the top benefit from the status quo.

The role of our union is not just to negotiate pay—it’s to organise hope. To help members imagine something better. To challenge the story that poverty is inevitable.

Poverty is political, not natural. It’s a choice.

The truth is simple: the money is there. What’s missing is justice, courage, and power in the hands of the workers who keep our communities alive.

That’s why we’re fighting. To end outsourcing. To win fair pay. To bring services back in-house. And to expose the cruelest conspiracy of all: that we must settle for less while the super-rich keep more money than they can ever use.

Solidarity.

Barnet UNISON.

UNISON Briefing: Scrutinising the Peopletoo Review

Dear Members,
We know many of you are concerned about the ongoing review by external consultants Peopletoo, especially with reports of potential savings targets and service changes. We want to reassure you that UNISON is fully engaged in scrutinising this process and challenging anything that could negatively impact your jobs, workload, or working conditions.

What is happening?
Barnet Council has brought in Peopletoo to conduct a “diagnostic review” of services across the Council, The Barnet Group (TBG), and Barnet Education and Learning Service (BELS). Their brief is to identify potential efficiencies and service improvements – but the context includes a pressure to find at least £20 million in savings.

What are we doing about it?
UNISON is:

  • Demanding transparency: We’ve asked that both the interim and final reports are shared with trade unions before decisions are made – not after.
  • Insisting on fair treatment: We’ve made clear that any proposals affecting jobs must include full Equality Impact Assessments (EqIAs), and that unions must be involved at every stage.
  • Raising detailed questions: We’ve submitted tough questions to Peopletoo on job protection, pay transparency, the risk of redundancies, and whether their recommendations could overload already stretched teams.
  • Pushing for staff voices: We’ve asked how frontline staff views are being included, and how decisions will be shaped by your experience – not imposed from above.

What are we watching closely?

  • Whether Peopletoo’s recommendations lead to cuts through the back door (e.g. unfilled vacancies or merged teams).
  • The risk of increased workload and stress if “efficiencies” mean doing more with less.
  • Unequal treatment between Council staff and those in TBG or BELS – we are insisting on a level playing field for all staff.
  • Any attempt to avoid scrutiny of senior management or consultants while frontline staff face pressure.

What you can do:

  • Talk to your UNISON rep if you have concerns or see changes happening without consultation.
  • Share your experiences: We want to make sure your voice is part of our response.
  • Stay informed – we will keep you updated as the interim report is released (expected late June) and decisions begin to take shape.

UNISON is committed to protecting your jobs, defending fair treatment, and holding consultants to account. We will not accept changes being made to you, without being done with you.

In solidarity,

Barnet UNISON Branch

 

📢 Barnet UNISON Update: Professional Registration Fees for Social Workers

Dear Members,

Barnet UNISON is continuing to advocate on behalf of our social work members regarding the issue of professional registration fees.

We recently wrote to the employer requesting that Barnet Council consider covering the cost of annual professional registration fees for social workers. This request was made in recognition of the fact that registration with Social Work England is a statutory requirement—without it, social workers cannot legally practice or be employed in their role.

In response, the employer reiterated their current policy of not paying professional subscriptions for staff, citing that such requirements are already considered within the job evaluation process. They also expressed concerns about affordability and fairness across different professions.

We have responded to this position by highlighting that:

  • Social workers are uniquely impacted by this statutory requirement, which is not optional and must be renewed annually.
  • This ongoing cost is not currently reflected in the job evaluation process, despite repeated concerns raised by UNISON over the years.
  • Other councils do support their social workers with this cost, and we believe Barnet should review its stance in light of this growing trend.

We have formally requested a meeting with senior management and HR to discuss this issue further and explore potential solutions, including a review of the job evaluation process and possible financial support options.

📌 Please keep an eye out for further updates as we continue to push for a fair and equitable outcome for our members.

If you have any questions on this matter, please email Barnet UNISON at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk.

In solidarity, Barnet UNISON

 

Reject the insulting 3.2% National Pay offer – inflation now 3.5%

VOTE REJECT – YOUR PAY MATTERS ‼️

Barnet UNISON is urging every member to REJECT the employers’ 3.2% pay offer for 2025/26. Here’s why your voice – and your vote – matters more than ever:

📉 3.2% Is a Pay Cut, Not a Pay Rise

 Inflation has jumped to 3.5% (The Guardian, 21 May 2025). The 3.2% offer won’t even keep pace — it’s a real-terms cut. 

🛑 We’ve Already Lost Enough

Local government pay has lost 25% of its value since 2010.

Thousands of frontline staff are struggling to cover rising housing, childcare, and energy bills while employers reject even basic improvements.

💸 There Is Money – It’s Just Hoarded at the Top

In the UK, the 50 richest families now hold more wealth than the poorest 50% of the population combined, which includes over 34 million people. The number of billionaires in the UK has risen from 15 in 1990 to 165 in 2024, with the average billionaire’s wealth increasing over 1,000% during that period. The rich are getting richer — and fast.

Public services are being starved while extreme wealth is left untaxed. It’s time to tax the rich — not make workers pay for the crisis they didn’t cause.

🧨 Always Money for War, But Never for Workers

Government spending on military escalation continues — while schools crumble, council services are slashed, and staff like us are told to tighten our belts.

Our communities need investment, not cuts. We cannot rebuild services on broken wages.

 ⚠️ This Offer Solves Nothing

  • Employers have rejected every call for better working conditions:
    ❌ No £15/hr minimum
    ❌ No extra leave
    ❌ No reduced hours
    ❌ No term-time flexibility

  We Deserve Better

This fight is about dignity, respect, and fairness. We keep services running. We supported our communities through crisis after crisis. Now they expect us to accept less – again.

🗳️ Vote REJECT — and demand a deal that reflects our value and funds public services, not billionaire bank balances.

End.

 

Mental Health Workers and Service Users Unite to Save Barnet’s Network Service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mental Health Workers and Service Users Unite to Save Barnet’s Network Service

We are calling on Barnet Council to protect a lifeline mental health support service—the Network—currently under threat of closure.

The Network provides short-term, therapeutic support and wellbeing workshops to adults experiencing mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Operating from Finchley, the service has offered vital support to vulnerable residents while they await access to NHS Talking Therapies.

If this service is withdrawn, many people will be left without support at a time when demand for mental health care is surging. We are deeply concerned that the closure will lead to increased isolation, greater pressure on overstretched NHS services, and worsening mental health outcomes for some of Barnet’s most at-risk residents.

We urge all mental health professionals, service users, carers, and local residents to stand up and defend this essential service. Your voice can make the difference.

Have your say before the consultation closes on 14 July 2025.

🔗 Respond to the consultation: www.engage.barnet.gov.uk/the-network

📧 Email: CAHConsultation@barnet.gov.uk

Together, let’s show Barnet Council that mental health support matters—and the Network must stay.

 

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: Barnet UNISON on 0208 359 2088 or email: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

 

 

Consultants are back – Barnet Council award contract to Peopletoo

Barnet Council issued an email to all Barnet Staff about the announcement that they have contracted a consultancy agency Peopletoo

Our members have long memories of what consultants can do to our public services.

We will never forget what happened to our members in Libraries where almost 55% of the workforce were sacked.

We won’t forget the hundreds of redundancies by Capita with the financial support of Barnet Council when they took over our back-office services in 2013.

Back in the late 2000s staff were told that the consultancy company were called in as a critical friend to help support the Council in the future.

16 years later the damage caused by the promotion of some of those ideas is here with us now.

For those who want to know more about the decision to pay Peopletoo can read the report here

Source: Improvement Partner Contract Award, 9 April 2025

https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s89248/Delegated%20Powers%20Report%20-%20Improvement%20Partner%20Final.pdf )

Here are some key facts

The contract is due to commence on May 1, 2025.

The contract is structured in two phases:

  • Stage 1: Diagnostic Phase: This phase has a fixed term price of £652,700. The purpose of this stage is for Peopletoo to conduct a thorough analysis of the council’s operations and finances to identify potential savings and improvements.
  • Stage 2: Delivery Phase: The contract includes an option for Barnet Council to proceed with a Stage 2 delivery phase. The final budget for this phase is contingent on the findings and recommendations of the Stage 1 diagnostic phase.
  • Funding Approval: Barnet Council’s Cabinet approved one-off funding of up to £3 million for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the improvement partner contract on February 18, 2025. This funding is allocated from the council’s contingency budget for the 2025/26 financial year.

Barnet UNISON hopes that lessons on the use of consultants have been learnt.

Barnet UNISON will be asking for details about Stage 1 shortly.

Keep an eye out in future eNews.

End.

 

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